This catalog, from an exhibition by the Foundation for International Arts and Education and the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, presents 180 objects dating back as far as the 12th century BC—items of jewelry, weapons, riding tack, ceramics, and practical objects—in color plates, with some 50 additional drawings, maps, and photos.

Mingei International Museum: "More than 2000 years ago, warriors and merchant caravans from faraway kingdoms—Persia, Syria, China and Greece—traveled along the Silk Road through what is now Kazakhstan. These travelers brought the art of their cultures, which was adopted and adapted by the people who lived along the route. Among these were the Scytho-Sakian people of southern Kazakhstan, the fabled Scythian horsemen.... Objects from the Berel Kurgan, where archaeologists found the remains of two nobles, were on display for the first time in the United States. The two nobles were buried with 13 saddled and bridled horses, sacrificed 2300 years ago to serve them in the afterlife.... In the traditional culture of the Kazakhs, all spaces are ornamented, from the interior of their yurts to their garments to the tack for their horses.... To this people who first domesticated the horse, the act of decorating an object domesticates it as well, making even ordinary utensils and tools works of art and philosophy."